Let's begin with an either-or question: Does Joe Biden a) honestly believe that natural gas is an existential threat to mankind, as he regularly claims, or is he b) more concerned with appeasing — for political purposes — environmentalist alarmists? Ponder the question if necessary — but I'm gonna go with "b."

While the professed fossil-fuel-loathing president has hysterically declared war on everything from residential gas furnaces to gas stoves to even gas dishwashers, his quest never ends.

In a Friday morning announcement, the White House and Department of Energy (DOE) revealed their next target — and it's enormous.

The White House is halting the permitting process for several proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal projects over their potential impacts on climate change, an unprecedented move environmentalists have demanded in recent months.

[T]he pause [will] occur while federal officials conduct a rigorous environmental review assessing the projects' carbon emissions, which could take more than a year to complete. Climate activists have loudly taken aim at LNG export projects in recent weeks, arguing they will lead to a large uptick in emissions and worsen global warming.

The ever-smug Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told reporters on a press call:

As our exports increase, we must review export applications using the most comprehensive up-to-date analysis of the economic, environmental, and national security considerations. This action includes a pause on pending applications for exports of U.S. natural gas as LNG to non-free trade agreement countries until the department can update the underlying analyses for authorizations.

National security considerations? Do you mean like the national security considerations Biden takes into account as continues to allow illegal aliens to stream into this country at a record clip? Please.

Granholm continued, with what amounted to a ridiculous  — and false — disclaimer:

The U.S. is committed to affordable energy and economic opportunities for all Americans. We are committed to strengthening energy security here in the U.S. and with our allies. And we're committed to protecting Americans against climate change as we lead the world into a clean energy future.

Allow me to fix that.

"We're committed to driving up natural gas prices in hopes that a majority of Americans will become more amenable to unstable and unproven 'clean energy' alternatives. And we're even more committed to continuing to kowtow to environmental alarmists and other left-wingers because we desperately need their votes."

There — that's more like it.

Here's more (emphasis, mine):

While it is unclear which proposed projects the action will affect, a senior administration official told reporters at least two have a larger capacity and two have a smaller capacity. Another official added that the pause implemented Friday will only impact projects that have gone through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) lengthy approval process and are ripe for DOE approval.

According to federal data updated this week, there are 11 projects that have been green-lit by FERC but are not yet under construction. An additional four projects are pending before FERC and two are in the pre-filing stage. Those six projects wouldn't be impacted by the pause since they are not before DOE yet, but they would be impacted if approved by FERC.

White House climate czar Ali Zaidi's statement was predictable as hell, saying in part:

From day one, we have stood with our allies and partners. That's how Joe Biden leads on climate change. And when it comes to the climate crisis, we square our shoulders, we take on the challenge in front of us, we lean into the solutions and, yes, we transition globally away from fossil fuels. That is the solution, that is the strategy that the president has articulated.

We're doing this weeks removed from a U.N. climate conference where the United States, under President Biden's leadership, was out front making sure that the global community was clear-eyed about the need to transition globally away from fossil fuels.

Former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Neil Chatterjee told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration is making a big mistake.

I think they're really making a miscalculation here. This isn't just bad policy, it's bad politics. We made a commitment to our European allies, to Germany, that we would be there and help them. You really should not be playing politics with energy security.

"What's really frustrating from the environmental perspective is that U.S. LNG actually displaces more intense fossil sources of fuel overseas. We have a much cleaner process than the Russians do. So, not only are we providing geopolitical assets to our allies, but U.S. LNG displacing dirtier sources of fuels actually lowers global carbon emissions. And the activists seem to be just kind of brushing over that.

Chatterjee was right— but here's the thing. Facts, data, and science only matter to Democrats when they support the left's narratives. We saw it with COVID-19. When facts don't support the left's narratives, they are to be dismissed, lied about, or outright ignored. (See: "Anthony Fauci.")

Finally, House Speaker Mike Johnson released a statement following the White House announcement, warning that Biden is playing into Russian President Vladimir Putin's hand.

This announcement by President Biden is as outrageous as it is subversive. Stalling LNG export terminals, like Calcasieu Pass 2 in Louisiana, not only prevents America’s economic growth, it empowers our adversaries like Vladimir Putin.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, American petroleum producers have increased LNG shipments to our partners in Europe to prevent a catastrophic, continent-wide energy crisis and to provide an alternative to Russian energy exports.

It is outrageous that this administration is asking American taxpayers to spend billions to defeat Russia while knowingly forcing allies to rely on Russian energy, giving Putin an advantage. 

This policy change also flies in the face of the commitments made when the White House announced the joint US-EU Task Force less than two years ago to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russia and strengthen energy security.

Nailed it. The question is, whether Biden is capable of understanding the gravity of the Speaker's statement. The answer is no doubt chilling.

The Bottom Line

If the environmental alarmist crowd came out today and announced it has changed its position on natural gas, Joe Biden would be singing its praises before he eats his pudding cup and goes nighty-night.

SEE MORE:

‘Gas Stove-ing’ America: After Failing to Sell a Crisis, the Media Blames Conservatives and Hilariously Burn Themselves

The Creepy Cult Surrounding the Gas Stove Panic Gets Exposed

Reality Bites: California Moves Back Toward Gas and Nuke Energy To Keep Lights On